Los Angeles vs San Francisco - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Los Angeles San Francisco
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3187
$3781
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7653
$8717
🏠 One person rent
$2045
$2600
🏘️ Family rent
$3732
$4501
🍽️ Food expenses
$714
$806
🚐 Transport expenses
$218
$181
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5275
$7795
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
17 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
99
97
😀 Quality of life
94
97
🏙️ Population
3.9M
874K

The cost of living in Los Angeles is 16% less expensive than in San Francisco. Cities ranked 72nd and 9th ($3187 vs $3781) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 59th and 7th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.7 months in Los Angeles compared to 2.1 months in San Francisco. Ranked 8th vs 1st best cities to live in the United States, and 47th vs 12th among the best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Los Angeles vs San Francisco infographic

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Prices in Los Angeles vs San Francisco

Prices for goods and services in Los Angeles and San Francisco are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Los Angeles San Francisco
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.6
$22.5
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$103
$103
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$12.3
$12.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$7.95
$8.68
☕ Cappuccino
$5.63
$5.68
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.93
$2.79
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2261
$2707
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1732
$2324
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3983
$5024
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3315
$4030
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$139
$138
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$215
$211
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$67.8
$61.5
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.58%
6.62%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7592
$11577
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7011
$11019
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.76
$2.6
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$73.9
$96.5
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$16.3
$20.9
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.36
$1.35
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.26
$1.66
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.22
$4.31
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.49
$5.8
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.2
$6.2
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.3
$23
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.7
$15
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$17.1
$22.5
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.19
$6.37
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.32
$3.31
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.72
$5.7
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.63
$7
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.59
$3.91
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.64
$3.18
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.45
$1.68
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.29
$3.7
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.7
$18.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.35
$3.33
🚬 Cigarette pack
$12
$13.6
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.4
$10.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$8.06
$7.97
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.89
$5.38
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.21
$2.89
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$57.8
$91.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$18.1
$17.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$174
$132
💇 Haircut, simple
$27.2
$23.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$61
$63.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$100
$107
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1998
$2916
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$28613
$31050

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Cities near Los Angeles

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5 mi Huntington Park
$2682
8.9 km or 5.5 mi Maywood
$2673
9.2 km or 5.7 mi Florence-Graham
$2720
10 km or 6.2 mi Bell
$2652
10 km or 6.2 mi Monterey Park
$2748
11 km or 6.6 mi Alhambra
$2883
11 km or 6.6 mi South Pasadena
$2849
11 km or 7 mi Cudahy
$2604
12 km or 7.6 mi San Gabriel
$2984
12 km or 7.7 mi Bell Gardens
$2561
12 km or 7.8 mi West Hollywood
$2738
13 km or 7.8 mi Montebello
$2675
13 km or 8 mi South Gate
$2612
13 km or 8.2 mi Glendale
$3553
14 km or 8.8 mi Inglewood
$2831
15 km or 9 mi Beverly Hills
$2289
15 km or 9.1 mi Lynwood
$2633
15 km or 9.3 mi Rosemead
$2733
15 km or 9.5 mi Culver
$2844
15 km or 9.6 mi Pasadena
$3327
16 km or 9.9 mi Pico Rivera
$2638
16 km or 10 mi Burbank
$3271
16 km or 10 mi Downey
$2354
17 km or 11 mi Compton
$2709
18 km or 11 mi La Canada Flintridge
$3009
18 km or 11 mi Hawthorne
$2861
18 km or 11 mi Temple
$2776
18 km or 11 mi South El Monte
$2714
18 km or 11 mi West Whittier-Los Nietos
$2629
18 km or 11 mi Paramount
$2572
19 km or 12 mi Gardena
$2866
20 km or 12 mi El Monte
$2715
21 km or 13 mi Lawndale
$3054
21 km or 13 mi Arcadia
$2717
21 km or 13 mi Bellflower
$2552
22 km or 14 mi Norwalk
$2569
22 km or 14 mi Santa Monica
$3589
22 km or 14 mi Whittier
$2673
23 km or 15 mi Manhattan Beach
$3065
24 km or 15 mi Carson
$2754

Cities near San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3180
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3170
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3274
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3146
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$2940
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3082
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3196
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$2977
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3152
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3053
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3224
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3048
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3293
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$3023
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$4155
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3672
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2802
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3473
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2831
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2949
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3804
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2981
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2931
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3442
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$2874
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3584
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2714
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$2922
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2767
38 km or 24 mi Union
$2986
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2851
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2885
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3176
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2845
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2726
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3288
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3228
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3010
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3091
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3610